# Run your worker in the background A worker is a long-running process (`npm start` runs `node src/index.js`). For development you can keep it in a terminal; to leave it running, `fob-worker procs` manages it with [pm2](https://pm2.keymetrics.io/). `procs` needs **macOS or Linux** and pm2 installed globally: ```bash npm install -g pm2 ``` ## Start, stop, restart From the worker repo's root: ```bash fob-worker procs start # pm2 process named after the folder, e.g. worker-acme fob-worker procs logs # tail its output (Ctrl-C to stop tailing) fob-worker procs restart # after changing code or .env fob-worker procs stop ``` From anywhere else, name the worker by its folder name or pm2 name, or give `start` its path: ```bash fob-worker procs start ~/work/worker-acme fob-worker procs restart worker-acme ``` `start` refuses if the folder isn't a worker repo (its `package.json` must depend on `@fob/lib-worker` and have a `main` entry) or if that worker is already running. ## What's running ```bash fob-worker procs list ``` ```text PID WORKER MODE PM2 PORT UPTIME STARTED ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 48211 worker-acme pm2 worker-acme - 02:14:09 Sat Oct 3 12:30:15 2026 ``` `procs list` finds workers started with pm2 and workers started directly (`npm start`, `node src/index.js`), shown as `direct`. Only pm2 workers can be stopped, restarted or tailed with `procs`; stop a direct one in its terminal or with `kill `. `fob-worker procs monit` opens pm2's live CPU and memory monitor. ## One worker per location The Orchestrator gives each location to one worker at a time. If a second worker starts with the same `WORKER_LOCATION`, one of them is turned away and exits. Run one worker per location, and stop your local copy before starting the real one elsewhere. ## Keeping it running after a reboot That's pm2's job: `pm2 save` and `pm2 startup`. See the [pm2 docs](https://pm2.keymetrics.io/docs/usage/startup/).